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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bank · net · face · ruler · nail · bat · key · pound

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bat — the animal
  3. face — to confront
  4. bank — for money
  5. pound — a weight
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. net — after costs
  9. bank — for money
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — in music
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. face — to point toward
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. face — part of the head
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — in sport
  24. bat — for baseball

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com